As a conventional X-ray tube holding apparatus, there is, e.g., a ceiling hung type X-ray tube holding apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 or a floor traveling type X-ray imaging apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 2. These apparatuses will now be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 12. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a conventional ceiling hung type X-ray tube holding apparatus. FIG. 9(a) is a perspective view showing a state that the conventional X-ray tube holding apparatus depicted in FIG. 8 and an upright photography platform 170 are utilized to perform imaging, and FIG. 9(b) is a perspective view showing a state that the conventional X-ray tube holding apparatus depicted in FIG. 8 and a horizontal photography platform 175 are utilized to perform imaging. FIG. 10(a) is a front view showing arrangement of a display body 160 and an imaging unit 142 in an initial state in the conventional X-ray tube holding apparatus depicted in FIG. 8, and FIG. 10(b) is a front view showing arrangement when the display body 160 and the imaging unit 142 are swiveled 90 degrees with respect to the initial state in the conventional X-ray tube holding apparatus depicted in FIG. 8. FIG. 11 is a side view showing a configuration of a conventional floor traveling type X-ray photography apparatus. FIG. 12 is a front view showing the configuration of the conventional floor traveling type X-ray photography apparatus.
A ceiling hung type X-ray tube holding apparatus depicted in FIGS. 8 to 10 includes: a vertically extensible column support 132 (a vertical shaft) that is hung by a hanging platform 131 (a mount) from a fixed rail 122 and a moving rail 123 provided in X and Y directions of a ceiling; an X-ray tube apparatus 140; an operation panel 150 having operation switches 153 and 154 and operation handles 151 and 152 provided thereon; an attachment block 133 (a base unit) that is configured to rotatably attach the X-ray tube apparatus 140 and the operation panel 150 to the column support 132; and a display body 160 that displays imaging relevant information. The fixed rail 122 is fixed on the ceiling by fixtures 121, and the column support 132 is disposed to the moving rail 123 by the hanging platform 131. An X-ray is emitted from an imaging unit 142 toward the lower side in FIG. 10(a).
In this X-ray tube holding apparatus, when the operation switches 153 and 154 on the operation handles 151 and 152 are operated, the X-ray tube apparatus 140, the operation panel 150, and the display unit 160 can swivel on a horizontal axis 133c extending from the attachment block 133 (the base unit) in a θ2 direction in an integrated manner. Further, when the operation switches 153 and 154 on the operation handles 151 and 152 are operated, the attachment block 133 (the base unit) can swivel on a central axis of the column support 132 in a θ1 direction together with the X-ray tube apparatus 140, the operation panel 150, and the display body 160. Further, the attachment block 133 (the base unit) elongates and contracts the column support 132 with respect to the hanging platform 131 to move up and down its height in a Z direction without restraint by operating the operation switches 153 and 154, thereby enabling adjustment of a height direction of the X-ray tube apparatus 140 with respect to the ceiling. Furthermore, the entire X-ray tube apparatus 140 can operate the moving rail 123 to move in an X direction with respect to the fixed rail 122 and operate the hanging platform 131 (the mount) to move in a Y direction with respect to the moving rail 123 by operating the operation switches 153 and 154.
Therefore, the X-ray tube apparatus 140 can be translated to an arbitrary position in an XY direction with respect to the ceiling in a photography room, and it can be directed to an arbitrary height position and an arbitrary direction so that a photography subject (FIG. 9(a)) in front of the upright photography platform 170 can be, for example, photographed from the front side or from above of the photography subject on the horizontal photography platform 175. At this time, an operator (e.g., an X-ray operator) stands on a front surface side of the display body 160 and operates the operation switches 153 and 154 while visually confirming a screen of the display body 160 so that the imaging unit 142 can face an arbitrary direction with respect to the photography subject. Moreover, the operator changes over the operation switches 153 and 154 to a manual mode and manually performs translation of the X-ray tube apparatus 140 in the XY direction with respect to the ceiling, elevating movement in the Z direction, swiveling in the θ1 direction, and swiveling in the θ2 direction, whereby a position of the imaging unit 142 with respect to the photography subject can be finely adjusted. Additionally, the operator can come into contact with a touch switch displayed on the screen of the display body 160 to direct the X-ray tube 142 to an arbitrary direction or the photography subject.
On the other hand, the floor traveling type X-ray photography apparatus depicted in FIGS. 11 and 12 includes: a carriage 221 (a mount) that can translate in the XY direction with respect to a floor surface of the photography room; a column support 222 (a vertical shaft) held in front of the carriage 221 so as to allow its swiveling motion; an X-ray tube holding mechanism 230 having one end held by the column support 222 so as to allow its movement in a height direction; an X-ray tube 242 held at the other end of the X-ray tube holding mechanism 5; an operation panel 250 having operation switches 253 and 254 and operation handles 251 and 252 provided thereon, and a display body 260 that displays imaging relevant information. An X-ray is emitted from the X-ray tube 242 toward the lower side in each of FIGS. 11 and 12.
In this X-ray photography apparatus, when the operation switches 253 and 254 on the operation handles 251 and 252 are operated, the X-ray tube 242, the operation panel 250, and the display body 260 can swivel on a horizontal axis 230c extending from the X-ray tube holding mechanism 230 in a θ2 direction in an integrated manner. Moreover, when the operation switches 253 and 254 on the operation handles 251 and 252 are operated, the X-ray tube holding mechanism 230 can swivel on the central axis of the column support 222 in a θ1 direction together with the X-ray tube 242, the operation panel 250, and the display body 260, and can move up and down in the Z direction with respect to the column support 222. Further, the operator moves forward and backward the carriage 221 (the mount) with respect to the floor surface of the photography room to translate the entire X-ray photography apparatus in the XY direction. That is, the operator stands on the front surface side of the display body 260 and operates the operation switches 253 and 254 while visually confirming a screen of the display body 260 to direct the X-ray tube 242 in an arbitrary direction for the photography subject. Furthermore, the operator changes over the operation switches 253 and 254 to a manual mode to manually carry out elevating movement of the X-ray tube 242 in the Z direction, swiveling in the θ1 direction, and swiveling in the θ2 direction, whereby a position of the X-ray tube 242 with respect to the photography subject can be finely adjusted. Moreover, the operator can come into contact with a touch switch displayed on the screen of the display body 260 to direct the X-ray tube 242 to an arbitrary direction for the photography subject.
In this manner, the X-ray tube 242 can be directed to an arbitrary direction, thereby effecting photography from above the photography subject on the horizontal photography platform 275.
In conventional X-ray tube holding apparatuses including the ceiling hung type X-ray tube holding apparatus and the floor traveling type X-ray photography apparatus, when the X-ray tube is swiveled to perform photography, for example, as represented as transition from FIG. 10(a) to (b), the display unit integrated with the X-ray tube is also swiveled, whereby it is difficult for an operator to appropriately and rapidly grasp imaging relevant information displayed in the display unit. Specifically, in the example depicted in FIG. 10, when digital number indication is inclined 90 degrees, for example, a number “9” may be possibly erroneously recognized as “6”. Further, in regard to an analog meter, an operator may get a different sensation. Therefore, the operator may possibly erroneously operate a direction of an operation button. In particular, since the operator stands on the front surface side of the display body and operates the operation switches while visually recognizing imaging relevant information on the display body, the possibility that the operator has his/her attention caught by display contents to erroneously operate the operation switches or that the operator has his/her attention caught by the operation switches to erroneously recognize display contents has been pointed out. Furthermore, when the operator changes over the operation switches to the manual mode to manually carry out elevating movement of the X-ray tube in the Z direction, swiveling in the θ1 direction, or swiveling in the θ2 direction, since a moving resistance of the entire X-ray tube is 1 to 2 kg, development of an apparatus that does not cause an erroneous operation in such an operation environment is expected.
As means for solving such a problem, in the X-ray tube holding apparatus described in Patent Document 1, two types of states where the operation switches are inclined at 0 degree and 90 degrees are prepared. Moreover, an X-ray tube holding apparatus described in Patent Document 3 includes a sensor that detects inclination of a display body and has software that can switch a screen in a state that display of the display body is inclined 90 degrees from 0 degree to the same state as 0 degree installed therein.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-open 2005-21470
Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2008-61944
Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2005-65942